Page 1: Intro, Box, Specs, Parts, DYLM24D6

Intro:

SOYO was established in 1999 at the time when computer hardware was easy to list off in your head. Their Dragon series of motherboards were excellent and many enthusiasts employed their boards for computer builds. Today, SOYO is a vastly different company. Gone are the motherboards but SOYO has reinvented itself and now produces displays. They have a partnership with Honeywell for dual branding. Today, we are looking at the Topaz S 24" LCD Widescreen Monitor.

Box:

The monitor was shipped in a proper shipping box that I'm not showing, but rest assured that it was well packed. It survived the riggers of shipping without getting damaged. What is shown is the inner box and packaging. I don't know who that women on the box is but she looks happy.

Specs:

Type: 24.0” color TFT active matrix SXGA LCD

Optimum Resolution: 1920 x 1200

Contrast Ratio: 1000:1

Viewing Angle: 170°(H), 160°(V)

Light Source: 40,001 hours (typ)

Response Time: 6ms

Brightness: 500 nits (typ)

Display Colors: 16.8 million

Pixel Pitch: 0.285mm

Frequency: Fh: 30 kHz – 80 kHz; Fv: 50 Hz – 76 Hz

Bandwidth: 136MHz

Audio Output Power: 2 x 2 watt

Warranty: 1 Year Limited

Model: DYLM24D6 (SKU MT-GW-DYLM24D6)

The specs look fine for a 24" monitor. The only thing that irks me is the one year warranty.

Parts:

Aside from the monitor and stand, you get the included cabling (power, VGA, DVI, and audio) as well as a manual.

DYLM24D6:

Let's take a closer look at the monitor itself. The DYLM24D6 is your basic 24" LCD running at 1920x1200. Soyo hit the sweet spot for computer monitors since 1920x1200 is pretty much the limit on normal single DVI connections. Anything more and you're looking at Dual DVI. The panel has a light gloss to it, but not high gloss as some monitors have. These high gloss finishes may seem like a good idea, but if your hitting the room lighting in a certain way, it reflects it. Nothing is worse than working with glare.

I remember that first monitor I used. It was an IBM 14" CRT (that still works). We used that thing for at least 12 years and it still works to this day. We just threw it away, though. Old relics like this just aren't worth the space. When you compare a 24" monitor that is wide screen to even a 19" regular monitor, you're probably thinking that it is just way to big. I thought so too, until I started using a 28" monitor. Once you go 1920x1200, you'll never go back. It is always about more resolution. I always thought that 28" for that resolution was a bit large, but 24" seems to be the sweet spot.

The SOYO logo is located on the top left of the monitor. It is fairly standard to put your product name and company all over the monitor.

The monitor name is located at the bottom right. Topaz S is the actual brand name of the monitor. There are a few monitors in the Topaz series, make sure you look at the "S" model. You can also see part of the speaker assembly that's built into the monitor. I usually stray away from built in audio, but most widescreens come with it.

The back of the monitor includes mounts for the stand (shown mounted) and the standard four screw VESA mount (10cmx10cm). The monitor stand itself is a bit clunky, but most widescreen monitor stands don't swivel or anything too crazy because the monitor begins to be really heavy. The actual base is fairly large to hold the monitor firmly.

You should also notice the venting holes on the top. This is a requirement since the light source for the panels pump out a great deal of heat. And yes, the monitor is made in China as most things sold in America are.

The controls are located on the right side of the monitor. This is fairly standard for the monitors I've been using. They are easy to get to, but not easy to push by accident. All the quick functions can be done on the monitor including brightness, contrast, and volume control.

The monitor isn't too big to be a nice fit on your desk. It is also a welcome fit with components that are black (which all of mine are). This is my testing computer setup and you should notice the amount of dust my room generates.